Man Hacked To Death For Confronting Herbalist

Itoro, the first son and the breadwinner of the family, was allegedly
hacked to death by a herbalist, Ette Okon on Friday, following a
misunderstanding.

Rita Emmanuel, a cousin of the deceased, a commercial motor cyclist,
told the story of the murder. According to her, Itoro lived with his
parents in their grass house in Ikot Abasi Effiom, in Akpabuyo Local
Government Area of Cross River State until he rented a room in a house
close to his parents’.

“About a month ago, he decided to rent a room in the next street so that
his wife who was about to deliver a baby could have more space and we
all agreed that it was okay. He got a room in Ette Friday’s house and
moved there”.

Rita explained that everything was fine until Ndarake, Itoro’s wife, gave
birth and the baby died within days. After the death of the baby, the wife,
according to the cousin, became sick and suffered epileptic seizures.

Friday, described as a herbalist, was said to have claimed he could heal
the woman and asked for N5.000 to get materials to heal her.

Rita stated that after Friday took the money, he assured Itoro that his
wife would soon recover and commenced treatment but that didn’t
happen.

Rita said:“Last year, Itoro lost his first wife after she gave birth to their
second daughter; so he was worried that his second wife taking care of
the two children was going to die too.

He asked the herbalist why the state of his wife was getting worse when
it ought to be improving since the man had been given the money he
demanded and he assured that he would treat the woman .

The man did not say anything; he simply went inside his shrine and
brought out a machete and cut Itoro’s throat”.

A resident, who gave his name as Monday, said when people heard
Itoro’s cries that night, they rushed to the herbalist’s house and met Itoro
in a pool of blood.

According to him, when the herbalist saw them, he threatened them with
a machete. This, he said, angered the residents who took matters into
their hands, overpowered him, cut his own throat, dumped the body
inside the shrine and set the place ablaze.

“The remains of the herbalist were eaten by dogs which he deserves
because we could not understand why he should kill a young man for
asking why the state of his wife whom he was treating was worsening
rather than improving”.

Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman for the Command, said the matter was
being investigated.